Grand National: Field declared for 2011 Aintree race

JOHN SMITH'S GRAND NATIONAL Aintree, Saturday 9 April, 1615 BST Coverage:
Live on BBC TV, HD, Radio 5 live, online Other races also across the BBC 7-9 April

Royal Rosa, Skippers Brig and Golden Kite were the last horses to make the 40-strong field declared for Saturday's Grand National at Aintree.

Last year's winner Don't Push It, to be ridden again by Tony McCoy, tops the weights for the big race.

There were three withdrawals at Thursday's final declarations - Roll Along, Northern Alliance and Our Monty.

Golden Kite, trained by Adrian Maguire, is number 40 in the field, with four reserves set to be named later.

It is the first British runner for Maguire, who retired from riding in 2002 after a fall at Warwick and said he was "pleased as punch".

He added: "Golden Kite is an economical jumper and just the sort of horse you need for the National. He has been in good form at home, and now that we know we are in, we can jump on the ferry."

Howard Johnson, trainer of Royal Rosa, was delighted his horse made the race, particularly as it will be the 12-year-old's last race.

"Royal Rosa will be retired after the race and it would be a fairytale if he could go out on a high. He is a horse who comes alive when he sees those big fences - he relishes he challenge and he ran well in the Becher Chase there in November, while the rain is also a plus."

Dominic Elsworth said he was "chuffed" to hear his intended mount Skippers Brig, trained by Nicky Richards, now gets in.

"I had a sit on the horse on Monday morning and he felt super. The rain was also a bonus, and I have already won the Becher and had several good spins over the big fences, so I am really looking forward to it."

In the world famous race, the horses compete over four-and-a-half miles and the course includes demanding fences such as Becher's Brook and The Chair.

To have won a lot of the good races and not the National would have been something I would have found quite hard to live with

Tony McCoy

The declared field is determined by each contender's rating, with the highest-weighted horses given preference.

McCoy will seek to make Don't Push It the first back-to-back winner of the race since Red Rum in 1974. The 11-year-old will carry top weight of 11st 10lbs having been quietly campaigned in hurdle races this term.

McCoy said: "He's definitely getting better with each run this year. He's improving all the time. The only reason he's stayed over hurdles is because we're preparing him for the National. It's a gruelling race."

It also sealed his place among the UK's sporting elite and he was voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year in December.

McCoy said: "I might not have been nominated in the top 10 let alone winning, and there's no doubt winning the National was the reason I won that award.

"There were a lot of people spending money on phone calls, which I will always be grateful for.

"I've been spoiled in that I've been lucky enough to have won a few, but to have won a lot of the good races and not the National would have been something I would have found quite hard to live with."

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Former winner Bob Champion's Grand National tips

In his most recent race, Don't Push It stayed on to finish 10th in the Pertemps Final at Cheltenham, the same event used for the horse's Aintree preparation last year.

Among his rivals will be the strongly fancied What A Friend, ridden by Daryl Jacob and part-owned by Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

What A Friend will be prepared by champion trainer Paul Nicholls, who has entered 44 horses in past Grand Nationals without success.

Nicholls also has another lively contender in Niche Market, who has been allocated 10st 13lb and will be ridden by Harry Skelton after Ruby Walsh opted for The Midnight Club, one of three Willie Mullins entries.

Handily weighted with 10st 13lb, The Midnight Club, a winner at Fairyhouse in February, could start as favourite.

One outsider attracting solid support is Majestic Concorde, which is Irish trainer Dermot Weld's first Grand National runner for 16 years.

Weld went close with Greasepaint, the was runner-up in 1983 and 1984, but is best known for landing some big Flat races across the globe, including the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot and the Melbourne Cup at Flemington.

RECENT NATIONAL WINNERS

2010 Don't Push It 10-1

2009 Mon Mome 100-1

2008 Comply Or Die 7-1

2007 Silver Birch 33-1

2006 Numbersixvalverde 11-1

2005 Hedgehunter 7-1

Another one tipped to run a big race is Backstage, trained in Ireland by Gordon Elliott and ridden by Paul Carberry, while Scotland's big hope - and among the leading fancies - is the grey
Silver By Nature.

Among the English hopes, Ballabriggs represents Donald McCain, son of Red Rum's trainer Ginger, and has some tidy recent form.

Sam Waley-Cohen, the amateur jockey who rode Long Run to Gold Cup glory in March, gets the ride on Oscar Time, a general 12-1 shot.

Other interesting contenders include Big Fella Thanks and West End Rocker, while 2010 Irish National winner Bluesea Cracker also merits consideration.

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